Lernert & Sander for Fantastic Man: Figure-skating and Fashion.

Genteleman’s style bible, Fantastic Man, and fashion’s favourite Dutch artist duo of the moment, Lernert & Sander, have today launched a collaboration composed of several short fashion films combining figure-skating and the current Autumn Winter season’s fashion.

Now, figure-skating may not immediately connote the best of sartorial taste (neon lime-green minis, sequinned billowy shirts) but trust this pairing of menswear aficionados and artists interested in sourcing new ways of perceiving fashion to cook up something both beautiful and groundbreaking in its off-kilter presentation of the pieces we see paraded for a period of about twenty minutes during a banal catwalk show.

Produced by the White Lodge, the first in the series debuts today on Fantastic Man’s Daily Recommendations page, and features Mr. Lawrence Evans (currently training for the 2104 Winter Olympics) perform a demanding upright catch-foot spin in what’s perhaps the least eye-pain inducing ensemble to ever grace an ice-rink: sparkling v-neck jumper and t-shirt by Prada and leggings by Pamela Mann (styled by Jodie Barnes).

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/28347414 w=398&h=224]

^ Fantastic Spin #1 in Prada. Each film presents a particular selection of AW pieces via a full 360° spin of high virtuosity in super slow motion. The elegant, yet awkward action is accompanied by original music composed by Danny Calvi.

Lauding artists Lernert & Sander, Fantastic Man Editors Gert Jonkers and Jop Van Bennekom said: “Lernert & Sander’s way of looking at fashion is both unconventional and un-anecdotic”, which is a fairly accurate observation. With this film, the collection is presented in a manner a world apart from the fleeting glimpses of the fashion show built on narratives of luxury, with the result that the garments become the focal point, not the myth constructed around them.

Granted, it’s tough to ignore the perfectly sculpted contours of the skaters showing it all off, but that, I suppose, isn’t really what’s up for discussion here.

^ A still from a film to come featuring the AW collection from Calvin Klein.

For more from Lernert & Sander, check out their Natural Beauty film for Nowness, which sees Belgian model Hannelore Knuts have 365 layers of make-up applied to her poor face in one day, taking her from fresh-faced to grotesque.

Find the latest issue of Fantastic Man here, and keep checking back daily for the latest film in the series.